New plastic heating can be 100% recycled
Recently, researchers in the United States have developed a new type of plastic that can be converted to its original molecular state after heating for one hour. In other words, this new material can be completely recycled and reused. It does not contain petroleum and can be decomposed by organisms. It can change the way we use plastics and recycle them. The new polymer developed by researchers at Colorado State University in the United States consists of γ-butyrolactone (GBL), which is also present in strong gel cleaners. For many years, scientists believed that the chemical structure of GBL was too stable and could not be converted into plastics. However, the research team still successfully developed it. According to chemical expert Eugene Chen, "The previous studies showed that this GBL monomer is not suitable for plastics. We suspect that previous reports may not be correct." Today, each of us needs to consume about 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) of synthetic polymers each year, most of which are non-biodegradable or recyclable. In the world, more than 270 million tons of plastic waste is produced each year, of which 18 million tons are filled into the ocean. Although many current plastic sheets and packages are marked with "recyclable" signs, they can only be reused to a certain extent. After being processed, humans have increased the useful life of plastic materials but have not been able to change them back to their original molecular state. Biodegradable plastics on the market still face the same problem, they can only be partially recovered, and produce some unnecessary byproducts in the process of extending their life cycle. Eugene Chen said: “Researchers are thinking of ways to develop renewable, biodegradable polymers or plastics. But this is only one solution because from the perspective of raw material recovery, biodegradable polymers are not necessarily recyclable." And this is why this new type of bioplastics is so concerned. We only need to heat the plastic to high temperatures of 220 to 300 degrees Celsius for one hour to convert it to GBL molecules. Once returned to the GBL form, the polymerization process can be restarted in an environment of minus 40 degrees Celsius, and monomer molecules will form polymer chains or 3D meshes. Eugene Chen and his team used the catalyst to change the shape of the molecule when testing the new polymer. Although scientists tried to do the same thing 10 years ago, they didn't know what other way to convert GBL into polymer besides high pressure. The researchers said they hope that this new type of GBL polymer can replace traditional plastics, and are looking for ways to reduce the production cost of this new type of plastic. The research results have been published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Eugene Chen has also applied for a patent. Wheel Hub Assembly For Toyota,Front Wheel Hub Assembly,Wheel Bearing Assembly,Precision Wheel Hub Assembly SHAOXING ZHENGHONG AUTO PARTS CO.LTD , https://www.kontinental-bearing.com